Maybe we should have fast-forwarded through Lamar Jackson and Tom Herman and Jim Harbaugh and all the ancillary college football stories of the past four months, and arrived at the same place we started: Alabama No. 1, Clemson No. 2.

After the Crimson Tide wore down Washington in the first semifinal on Saturday, Clemson soberly took apart Ohio State.

The final was 31-0 and arranged a rematch of last year’s national championship game, the one that Alabama won 45-40 in this same University of Phoenix Stadium on Jan. 11. This one will be next Monday in Tampa.

The Tigers snarled out of Arizona like an agitated fighter who lost a split decision. They wanted one more ride with the Tide. They got it. Be careful for what you wish? Maybe, but Alabama better watch itself, too.

Deshaun Watson, the two-time Heisman finalist, shrugged off two interceptions and accounted for three touchdowns. Clelin Ferrell led a rangy, rowdy defensive front that Ohio State could not come close to blocking. The Tigers gave Ohio State three first downs, four 3-and-outs, and eight yards rushing in the first half.

Overall the Buckeyes were muffled to the tune of nine first downs and 215 yards. Clemson rolled up 11 tackles for loss, including three by defensive MVP Ferrell.

In the end it was the most decisive beating that Urban Meyer has ever sustained in his head coaching career. And it was the first time one of his teams had been shut out. Ever.

“We’re not used to this,” Meyer said grimly. “I’m not used to this. We’ll never going to get used to this. We just didn’t execute offensively.”

The bad vibes hit Ohio State almost immediately. After an interception by Gareon Conley, Tyler Durbin missed a 47-yard field goal. He missed a 45-yarder on the next possession. The rest of Ohio State’s first-half possessions ended in punts.

The Buckeyes couldn’t maximize a spectacular pick by Malik Hooker in the end zone. Watson took that opportunity to drop a perfect 25-yard touchdown pass into the hands of C.J. Fuller for a 17-0 lead.

Mike Weber doused the Buckeyes’ second-half hopes by fumbling away the first possession. Quarterback J.T. Barrett couldn’t find open receivers, watched them drop passes when they did get open, and had immense trouble even getting the ball past the hands of Clemson’s D-line.

With six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Watson was safely on Clemson’s bench.

The win boosted the ACC’s bowl-game record to 8-3. It’s the first time the league has won more than five bowls in any year.

Barrett was hassled with three sacks and came up with only 137 yards passing. His longest play went 21 yards. In fact, the Buckeyes only ran 23 times.

“We wanted more balance than that,” Meyer said. “That was not in the game plan.

Even Clemson’s defenders seemed awed by the zero.

“I never would have dreamed it,” said linebacker Christian Wilkins. “If you had told me we were going to shut them out, I would said heck, no. They got dynamic players everywhere, guys who can take it to the house at any point. But obviously I thought we were going to win.”

Linebacker Ben Boulware said Clemson had the road map to bottle up the Buckeyes, if not dehydrate them completely.

“The first thing we had to think about was to find Waldo,” Boulware said.

That was Curtis Samuel, the home run threat in Ohio State’s backfield. Samuel had 67 yards, 64 of them in one run after Clemson was leading comfortably.

“The other part was to keep Barrett in the pocket,” Boulware said. “He’s a good passer but I think he feels a lot more comfortable, does more damage, when he’s running. Then our guys up front started dominating an offensive line that has two All-Americans. You do all that, and that’s how you get 31-0.”

Clemson is now 3-0 against Ohio State. The first meeting was in the 1978 Gator Bowl, when Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes slugged Clemson’s Charlie Bauman and never coached again. The other two have been bowl victories over Meyer, who has lost only three bowls in 13 tries.

Now there’s only one errand left.

“Alabama beat us last year,” Boulware said. “There’s no excuse. They were better. One thing I know: There will be a lot of talent on that field in Tampa next Monday.”

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